With another big smartphone announcement, comes yet another comparison to the cream-of-the-crop Apple iPhone 4S. This time it's Sprint with the HTC EVO 4G LTE, which will set you back $199.99 with a two-year contract.

It wasn't the HTC One X we expected, but this follow-up to the original HTC EVO 4G is bigger and better than its predecessor in every way. But will it be enough to sway the Apple devotees on Sprint away from the glass-clad iPhone 4S? Read on for a side-by-side comparison.

HTC continues the trend of ever-growing, gargantuan-screened phones, with the 4.7-inch display found on the HTC 4G LTE. Despite its finger-bending footprint, 5.3 by 2.7 inches, it keeps things rather thin, at only 0.35 inches deep. It's thinner than the iPhone 4S, which comes in at 4.5 by 2.3 by 0.35 inches, and also lighter at 4.7 ounces versus the iPhone's 4.9 ounces. The EVO 4G LTE also features a 1280-by-720-pixel super LCD display, and during our brief hands-on, we found it to be extremely sharp and incredibly bright. Despite the much larger screen, HTC managed to pack 312 pixels-per-inch, which rivals the iPhone's Retina display, with its 326 pixels-per-inch.

Dig deeper and you'll find a 1.5-GHz, dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 powering the EVO 4G LTE. It might not be quad-core, but when we had a chance to test the new chipset earlier this year, we found it to be one of the fastest chips yet. The iPhone 4S utilizes Apple's dual-core A5 chip, which is no slouch either. HTC also looks to cash in with its Beats Audio technology, but headphones are not included.

The eternal question remains: iOS or Android? Fanboys on either side will contend that their OS of choice is superior, and each side has valid claim to the smartphone throne. App selection and user interface are of utmost importance when selecting a smartphone; iOS 5 features over 500,000, while Android is close behind at over 450,000, but these numbers are always changing. The HTC EVO 4G LTE will join the growing number of newly minted Android smartphones to run Google's latest, and greatest, flavor—Ice Cream Sandwich. For those accustomed to Android, the upgrade will mean a smoother and more polished user interface, an enhanced browser, and performance advances all around. For a closer look check out our full review of ICS. Apple's iOS 5 is, as always, buttery smooth, with a simple and straightforward layout and user-interface that will be familiar to anyone who uses Apple's ubiquitous touchscreen devices.

Network speed is a huge factor, as a slow connection can be extremely frustrating. The iPhone 4S connects to Sprint's 3G network and lags behind the latest generation of LTE-branded phones. The EVO 4G LTE has the advantage here, but keep in mind that Sprint is still in the process of rolling out LTE coverage, so unless you're under its 4G umbrella, this might not be a huge factor.

The iPhone 4S was lauded for its incredible 8-megapixel camera and HTC looks to match Apple with the 8-megapixel shooter on the EVO 4G LTE. HTC will try to distinguish itself with its ImageSense technology, and from our hands on, we can say that it makes a serious difference. The shutter speed was, to quote mobile analyst Alex Colon, ridiculously fast—it snapped off three photos in the time it takes most phones to take one.

These are just a few of the key factors at play when pitting the reigning smartphone champ, the Apple iPhone 4S, against HTC's latest contender, the EVO 4G LTE. Android fans will definitely have something to look forward to with the Ice-Cream-Sandwich-packing EVO 4G LTE, but whether or not it can beat out the iPhone remains to be seen. Which will you prefer? Let us know in the comments below.

Stay tuned for our full review of the HTC EVO 4G LTE. For more phone reviews, news, and tips, check out PCMag's Cell Phones Product Guide.

About the Author

Before joining the consumer electronics team at PCMag, Eugene worked at local news station NY1 doing everything from camera work to writing scripts. He grew up in Montclair, New Jersey and graduated from the University of Virginia in 2010. Outside of work Eugene enjoys TV, loud music, and making generally healthy and responsible life choices.

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